The Cleveland Cavaliers begin their defense of the team’s first-ever NBA Championship Saturday in a game that will live stream as they open the 2017 Eastern Conference playoffs against the visiting Indiana Pacers; a team that according to some basketball experts could pose an unexpected threat to Lebron James and the Cavaliers.

In fact, Sports Illustrated calls the Cavaliers vs. Pacers first-round, best-of-seven matchup the “most intriguing series” of the eight first-round matchups. Cleveland surrendered the top seed in the East to the Boston Celtics by dropping all four of their final games after their statement victory over the Celtics in Boston on April 5.

On the other hand, no Lebron James team has ever lost a first-round series, and James is 11-0 with the Cavaliers and Miami Heat. As a matter of fact, James has not even lost a first round game since 2012.

LeBron James has never played on a team that lost a first-round playoff series. (Image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

To find out how to watch a free, live stream of the Indiana Pacers Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Game One, see the streaming information at the bottom of this article. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, noon Pacific, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, April 15.

Watch a preview of the Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers series in the video below, courtesy of CBS Sports.

The Pacers, who finished at 42-40 to claim the seventh seed in the East, roll into the playoffs on a five-game, regular-season-ending winning streak, powered by their 26-year-old superstar, Paul George, who averaged 23.7 points per game this season, which was a career high in the final year of his contract in Indiana.

George is playing what could be his last series in a Pacers uniform, having already expressed his desire to test the free-agent market, and the desire to impress those other teams may be giving George the extra motivation he needs to lead Indiana to what would be one of the most stunning early-round upsets in NBA history.

Paul George may be making his final appearances in an Indiana Pacers uniform in this firts-roujnd seres. (Image by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Though the Cavaliers essentially conceded the top seed in the East to Boston, the good news for Cleveland fans is that James has played on second-seeded teams five times already in his career. In all five seasons, his team made it all the way to the NBA Finals.

Can the Indiana Pacers pull off a stunning upset win against the defending NBA champions and take the first game of their Eastern Conference first-round series? Or will LeBron James and the Cavaliers cruise to a smooth start as they open their defense of the first NBA title in Cleveland history? To find out, watch the Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference first-round playoff game live stream online from the 20,500-seat Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, with free streaming video provided by ESPN3, the online-only network of ESPN, at this link, or by downloading either the WatchESPN or ESPN app to watch a live stream on mobile devices. WatchESPN and ESPN3 also streams live on the Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and other set-top streaming devices, allowing fans to watch the Pacers vs. Cavaliers showdown streaming live to their TV sets.

As another alternative to watch the playoff matchup stream live for free, the Sling TV basic internet TV package offers ESPN3, including the Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game, and offers a seven-day free trial. To sign up, visit this link.